A Royal Contradiction
by snow-bun-buns1598
Summary: Fire Lord Zuko is just another royalty. Or is he?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first time writing this kind of story so I'm nervous.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

I didn't know what to make of him at first. Sure, they told me he was young but not **this young.** He is just a boy, not yet a man in my humble opinion. But he is the new Fire Lord and to me, a job is a job so I'll just suck it up and do as I'm told. I've been in this job long enough that I know that my silence is the key to get paid well so I just pretend not to know a thing and do my work. Their issues aren't my business anyway.

Fire Lord Zuko, the bringer of peace. He helped the avatar to end the Hundred Year War that ironically, his ancestors started. It is the fifth year of his reign and today, he is visiting a former Fire Nation colony.

I observe him from a distance; this is usually the easiest part of my job. To my employer's luck, this is the one skill that I'm proud of. I can melt into the shadows unnoticed and I'm an expert in watching people. I learned to read them from an early age so I can predict their move before they make it. That's why I'm highly valued.

Perfect, cold, and stoic. Those are the traits of the Fire Lords that came before him. Oh, I know. Of course I do. They conquered us after all. They have this proud baring. It's like their stance alone is telling the people that they are better than everyone. Shoulders back, chin up, and a blank face. The typical Fire Nation royalty. I thought that the new Fire Lord is like that but unfortunately for me and my boss, we are wrong.

Unlike his ancestors, his face is not flawless. Many will say that his first oddity is his scar. Instead of covering it up, the kid carries it proudly. There is a story behind it. I know. But now is not the time for gossip. I'll ask around after the job. It's the least thing I could do.

Fire Lord Zuko's party is small, just a couple of people and most of them are girls. Well, he is a young man after all. You do you, buddy. I don't know if he's brave or just plain stupid. Who goes in a hostile territory with just a bunch of people who most of them look like they're the once that needs protecting? I snorted at that thought. The dumber he is, the easier the job for me.

I slink into the shadows unseen; I need to wait for the right moment to strike. The alleys of this place are small and confusing; you can't get out if you don't know the way and that's why it's great for running away. The sun is near to setting and the Fire Lord still has a long way to go.

This is what they call the slums. The people here are poor and society just pretends they don't exist. There are trashes everywhere, prostitutes to the side, and hungry men and women all around. Not the ideal place for a Fire Lord to walk. Mind you, but this is the fastest route to his destination and he is already late. Beggars can't be choosers, ha.

He walks purposely, just looking ahead. Probably couldn't wait to pass this rotten place. But he suddenly stops and to my surprise, stoops down to help a beggar. He takes off some of his layers and covered the shivering old man with it. The kid bends his head close to the man and I can see that he is speaking to him. After a moment, he called one of his guard and they help the man. I think he told the guard to get the sod to a doctor because they left after. The bulky guy carrying the weakening thin man out of sight.

Well, well, well, a naive child. I mocked him in my mind. That's one more thing he differs from his cursed line, I think. I'm sure that the previous Fire Lord would never so much as take a step in this rat whole but this one does. His father would have burned the man for not paying attention to him but the new Fire Lord helps him instead. Too bad, this teenager seemed nice and harmless. It almost saddens me for what I'm about to do but a job is a job, and my stomach is pestering me for a while now.

So the moment that he stops near a slightly darken alcove, I struck. I come at his blind spot, my dagger aiming for his back. No matter the kindness he showed, he is still one of them and I needed the money. I don't remember when was the last time I ate somethin' and I'm already thinking about my luxurious meal after this job. I'm sure that they would pay me well. I took out the freakin' Fire Lord for goodness' sake. I can imagine all the food I'm going to have. Hmmm.

So here I am, imagining my meal and that's the first of my many mistakes. Had I paid attention, I would have noticed that my target sensed me coming and sidestepped to get out of the way of my knife. He quickly span and the next thing i know is that my dagger got knocked out of my hand and my wrist was twisted painfully. I'm on the filthy ground, strong callous hands are choking me and the Fire Lord is looming down on me.

His golden eyes are searing in to my soul and when he speaks, his raspy voice chilled my blood. "I've been watching you; I heard your footsteps from a mile away. The snobby nobles forgot that I know how to live outside the palace so I know if I'm being followed, especially when it's this obvious."

It is when I realized that this is a man who can easily kill me without using his bending. A man, not a child and certainly is not like his ancestors before him. So I hope and I pray that in contrast to his cruel family, he'll give an assassin like me mercy.

A/N: What do you think? Please leave a review on your way out!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi! This is just supposed to be a one-shot but someone said that he or she will read it if I decided to continue this story. I had an idea so here I am. I'll probably post more chapters if I have other ideas.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

My name is Lina and I am a proud loyal customer of the, **Jasmine Dragon.** I come here every day after work. Their tea has never failed to soothe my tired soul and it calms my raging temper every time. Its owner is a very interesting fellow to have a conversation with so coming here became my ritual.

It is just another day after work so I follow through my everyday routine. I went to my favorite tea shop and sit on my usual place near the window. I knew the menu by heart so when the waiter came I told him I'll just have what I've always had.

I admit that I didn't pay attention to him so I was startled when an unfamiliar voice asked me. "I'm sorry, what is your usual order ma'am?"

I looked at him then and my world stopped. Oma and Shu, he's handsome! Not in a normal way however, he is more like the mysterious kind.

I heard my mystery man cleared his throat and then I realized that I was shamelessly staring. I duck to hide my tomato red face and mumbled my order. I only straighten when I finally heard his retreating footsteps. There's something about that man and it's not just his looks. So I decided to watch him.

The tea shop is as busy as always and it seemed that they're under staff. But what surprised me is that my mystery man is handling it very well. I thought that without the owner, the place will be unorganized. But I was proven wrong.

The remaining servers are taking cue from my mystery man. He took orders quickly but efficiently and despite that it's a crowded place, he never spilled anything. He's polite to all the customers, giving them a little smile and sometimes a quick word to make them settle.

Now that I'm observing the place, I noticed that most of the customers tonight are of the female variety. Well it figures, they're here for the new waiter. I don't know why but he's kinda familiar to me. He's not from the Earth Kingdom, that much is obvious. He has a sharp face, strong jawline and such captivating golden eyes that can make women swoon. So Fire Nation then. He can be better looking if not for his scar though.

His straight back posture, the graceful way he moves and how he faced the people all told me that he was used to be in front of a crowd. His had people watch him before but I still can't figure him out. Something is nagging me on the back of my mind but I really can't remember it.

"Your tea ma'am, I'm sorry for the wait."

I was pulled out of my observations when I heard his voice. He's now serving me my tea and it seems like he'd done it countless times before. His hands look like they have seen hard work but the way he gently and carefully placed my order on the table told me otherwise.

"Please enjoy." He told me and he smiled a closed lip smile but it was enough to get my tongue tied.

So I stuttered a... "Th-Thank you." To him. Spirits, can I be more embarrassing?

He nodded to me once and then he left. I continued to watch him while I was there but I still couldn't figure him out. There was a fellow who tried to start trouble in the shop but the new waiter stopped the man with just a scary look and an even scarier threat.

"If I ever hear from my uncle that you're giving him trouble, I would personally hunt you down and make you regret the day that we've crossed paths. Do you understand?" He shook the man once and bodily drag him out and when he came back, it was like it never happened. He was still polite and efficient but no one tried anything for the rest of the night.

Everything went well. The night was pleasant and the tea was great as always. The service was not bad either so I decided to give a big tip. I was about to leave when someone burst through the doors. A girl with slightly disheveled clothes, her hair covered some part of her face and she had no shoes.

"Hey Fire Lord Sparky, I need you to get me out of this one. It's an emergency!" She said and promptly stamped around.

"What have you done this time Toph? And stop that will you." The mystery waiter said walking closer to the girl.

"Why do you assume it's always my fault? Hello, a blind, helpless little girl here." She reasoned to him, looking for all the world innocent.

"You're just blind Toph, never helpless. Besides, it's not like you needed sight to wipe out Ozai's battleships. You are the greatest earthbender in the world after all." He said giving the girl a fond smile and ruffling her hair.

"Damn right I am! That's why you're my favorite Zuko. Now, come with me. The greatest earthbender can't do this by herself but I bet the Fire Lord can. Its closing time anyway, Iroh wouldn't mind." With that said, she proceeded to drag the no longer mystery waiter out the door.

Before they got far, he shouted. "I'm leaving you in charge Jee. Uncle will be back soon. Just tell him Toph happened when he asks. Everyone did well today, good job." After that, they were truly gone.

I nearly fainted. Oma and Shu! His baring and of course the scar... It was Zuko. But last time I check, Fire Lords don't go around serving tea in a tea shop.

A/N: What do you think? Please leave a review on your way out!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: One of my favorite movies of all time is the Rush Hour trilogy. So I put these names here. I laugh so hard when I watched this scene, the Mi and Yu part.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Yes, I'm seeing it. I'm just not believing it yet."

The two friends are currently watching two guys play in the water. The other man has dark skin and blue eyes while the other has a pale complexion and striking gold eyes. They just finished a swimming race and now, they are preparing to have a contest of who can hold his breath longer under the water.

The guys in the water stared at one another's eyes as if telling their opponent that they're watching his every movement. After that warning look, they decided to continue. They gathered air in their lungs as much as they could and the men finally submerge themselves.

Mi and Yu are dignitaries from the Earth Kingdom and they are in the Southern Water Tribe to attend an important event of the four nations. They're just passing the time while waiting for the avatar when they stumbled on this interesting scene.

The two friends glanced at the water and then, at each other. It has been almost five minutes now since they saw the guys started their silly match. They waited some more and after a few seconds, one of them resurface.

He was taking deep gulps of air, no doubt trying to get his breath back. When he got himself settled, he waited for his friend. Then, approaching the six minute mark, the other man finally appeared.

When he broke out, he just took long breaths to steady his breathing. After his exorcise, he looked at his friend and smirked.

The friend glowered at this and punched his arm. The other guy just laughed. It seems they're about to do another competition but they saw something overhead and they decided to dry up instead.

Mi and Yu were left blinking in astonishment. They couldn't believe what they just witness.

"Did Fire Lord Zuko win the breathing contest thing?" Mi asked his companion.

"Yes, he did." Yu replied equally bewildered.

"And he had a draw on the swimming race?"

"Uh-huh."

"With master Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe no less." Mi commented in awe, his eyes still wide.

"That's what I saw." Yu said, shaking his head.

"But... But... I don't understand."

"Well, that makes the two of us."

A/N: I'm not sure if Zuko can really beat Sokka in a contest like this but let's just pretend for the sake of fan fiction, okay? So, what do you think? Please leave a review on your way out!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is a short one but I hope you'll enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Iroh walked in the halls of the Fire Nation palace. He's about to pay his nephew an overdue visit. The war veteran can't help but noticed the change that the new Fire Lord brought.

The people are merry once again, the four nations are working with each other and even the fire palace seems warmer now. The general let-out a proud smile of the man Zuko has become. He truly regained the nation's honor.

Iroh's footsteps halted when he saw that a cluster of the ministers are standing in front of the meeting chamber and he can hear a voice shouting inside. A very, very familiar voice.

"What is happening here?" Iroh asked the nearest man.

The people jumped on his arrival, they didn't notice him. Some of them blushed, the others shifted from foot to foot but they are all throwing anxious glances on the closed door behind them.

"Uhh... General Iroh sir... You see..." One of the younger ministers started but a loud shout cut him off.

"You good for nothing son of a-!"

The people outside flinched collectively. Then, the doors finally opened and a slightly older looking man replied, Iroh remembers him to be a general or something like that. He nervously cleared his throat several times before he spoke. "Ehem... Sir, we-we... didn't think that his highness has a… L-Large repertoire of colorful words at his disposal."

As if Iroh needed any more proof of this, they heard. "Why don't you just shove it up your filthy-! You ***!"

They heard the Fire Lord cuss rapidly and efficiently. Some of the words made even the harden veteran generals blush. Iroh just shook his head at this. Because yes, yes his nephew has quite a sailor's mouth on him. They can still hear Zuko cussing profusely in the room and Iroh sighed deeply. He really should have visited sooner.

A/N: Zuko spent years on the sea and I just thought it's impossible for him not to pick-up a cuss word or two. Please leave a review on your way out!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This one-shot is for fireandwaterr. I just want to thank you for always supporting this little story of mine! You never forget to review and I'm happy to know that someone enjoys reading this as much as i enjoy writing it. To me, that makes writing worth my time. I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Stale air mix with Tabaco smoke made its way to my nose and creaking wood followed my every step while I made my way through the usual crowd. There, mingled sent of ale and sweat joined the previous unwelcomed sensations. Flickering deem lighting filled the place and the shadows casted by the crescent moon outside danced like ghosts. We had a full house that night so the tavern is more uncomfortable than ever. I dodge the drunkards who tried their grab on me while I delivered my ordered drinks. People from all walks of life came here to celebrate or forget and it's my job to bring them their preferred company.

"I need wine, lots and lots of it. Oh, just open me a tab, would ya? Thanks!" Another customer came and so I nodded and immediately fix the man's order as well as his tab. The more order I got, the more tip I get after all.

When I gave the man his requested drink, he just took it all in one go. Even though I've worked here for some time now, that still surprised me. I looked around and when i saw that my services weren't needed yet, I took the seat opposite him.

"Girlfriend?" I asked the stranger. He was a young man with an average face, bulky built and just the right height. He was just another guy in the crowd but he just looked so lost to me, I felt like I had to talk to him.

He just flicked his eyes at me but continued to drink like theirs no tomorrow so I babbled. "I'm Yin and I've been the barmaid here for years now. I used to work as a lady's maid but my mother got sick so I went back to my hometown to take care of her. My former employer found some other girl to work for them so they didn't hire me back. I walked and..."

"Lady, don't you have anything better to do?" He cut me off, almost slurring his words.

"No, actually." I told him honestly.

"Find someone else to bother then." He dismissed me, taking another hefty swig of his wine.

I planted myself firmly on the seat and crossed my arms. "You look like you need a person to talk to and I'm willing to listen so let me have it." My mother always said i was too curious for my own good and I'm really, really curious about this guy. I think he needed someone to listen to him and I know I could be that person. This is one way to break the monotony of my tiresome job and I'm willing to take it.

"Whoa, you looked like my mother for a moment there lady." He said, blinking down at me.

"I can be as stubborn as one." I replied smiling up at him.

"Fine, fine. Stay for all i care." He grumbled.

"So?" I asked after a beat.

"So, what?"

"Why are you drinking like the devil's after you?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious." I shrugged helplessly.

"Hm."

"So? What is it?"

"It's Fire Lord Zuko okay?"

I raised my eyebrows at that. "You don't like the current Fire Lord?" I asked. It's not uncommon to hear that sentiment right now because of the things they said he had done and I've certainly heard a lot worse.

"No, no, I support em. It's just... Shome timesh i think e doesn't need us... y'know?" He told me, his hazy tawny eyes are now focused in my direction.

"Uh..." What can i say to that? I looked at his wine and i decided that he must have one too many. He doesn't look the bodyguard type, he's appearance is more of a village guy to me. "Why do you think that?" I decided to humor him.

"Like there was thish one time, we went to the Earth Kingdom and we got ambushed on our way there. Hish highness sent me to help some poor guy so I wasn't even there when an assassin tried to stab him. Thank Agni for his honed reflexes because he manage to avoid it and he captured the lowlife himshelf."

"That's good right? He was safe." I said placating the guy.

"Yeah... But, it'sh my job! I should be the one protecting him!" He slammed his hand on the cracked table angrily.

"Don't be too hard on yourself; I'm sure it's not your fault." I responded, trying to avoid a scene. The young man looks like he's really upset and he doesn't need unnecessary distractions right now.

"Maybe that one, but thish ish! His highness was having a meeting and someone tried to poison him. He noticed of course but he wash the only one. He commented that the tea shmelled funny so the herbalist checked and they found it. We, his guards just stood there, useless." He's staring intently on his empty glass so i touched his arm to give him some comfort.

"It's okay, he's okay." I murmured trying to sooth him.

"He moves sho quiet too; sometimes we didn't know he was there. I watched him with his dao and he's amazing with those thingsh. It's like he can take care of himshelf perfectly so why should I bother? I think I should quit... No, I'm sure of it." He made to stand but he faltered, his drinking finally made its effect known.

"Hey, hey, let's not be hasty. You should think about this first." I told the inebriated young man. I helped him on his seat again.

"No, I'm shure... I-I'll do it now... Just lem..." His head thump on the table and he ended up using his arms as pillows instead. Then, he snored loudly.

I sighed at the display and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. Poor guy, it must have been a bad breakup.

A/N: So, what do you think? Please leave a review.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I don't like this chapter but I decided to post it anyway. What do you guys think?

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Team Avatar minus Zuko walk in the halls of the Fire Nation palace. They decided to have a party and they need their final member so they came to get him whether he likes it or not. Toph and Sokka planned to just knock him out when he resisted anyway.

Ang stopped a hurrying attendant to ask about his friend's whereabouts. To their surprised, the man paled and sweated bullets.

"T-The Fire Lord is in the t-training grounds sir. I-If you'll excuse me." He bowed and quickly went out of sight.

"Whoa, that's weird." Sokka commented.

"Ya think?" Toph said sarcastically.

"Let's just ask Zuko when we find him." Katara suggested.

The friends agreed and continued their search. They passed the ornate tapestries of the many, many royals, countless expensive vases and old wooden doors that have been there for centuries. The palace is too quiet for the group's taste but they got kind of used to it over their frequent visits. They turned another hallway and Ang bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry... Hey, Zuko!" The monk said after seeing who he ran into.

"Hey guys. What are you doing here?" Zuko asked nodding at his friends. He shed his formal robes hours before and now, he's just wearing his light clothing.

"We're here to come get ya Hot stuff. We're gonna party!" Toph exclaimed pumping her fists in the air.

Zuko shook his head but the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. "Fine, I'll just get a few things and then, we can go." He said and he walk pass them.

It was only when Zuko left, the friends notice the many people standing there. They came from the same direction Zuko did. All of them were staring in awe, some of the women were blushing heavily and there were others that can't stop their mouths from gaping. The crowd didn't pay them any mind, all of their attention was only for the retreating form of the Fire Lord.

"Uh... What happened here?" Sokka asked.

The ladies sighed dreamily while the gentleman grumbled. "His highness showed us his hand to hand combat skills sir." One of Zuko's guards answered. He then gestured at the piles of defeated guards being treated by the palace's healers.

The GAng blinked and Toph laugh loudly. "Yeah, Sparky has some great moves alright."

Sokka smirked while Katara and Ang made an oh shape with their mouths respectively. So that explains it then.

"Did you see how fast his hands were?" A lady gushed.

"His kicks were so strong too. He was able to dent the wall of the training hall." Her friend answered with a gush of her own.

"He blocked like this. Then span and caught the other's arm just like that! Man, the Fire Lord's cool." A young soldier said.

"It's only cool when you're not at the receiving end." One of the guards snapped. "Ouch! Not so hard please."

"I'm sorry sir." The healer apologized quickly.

"I don't think he needs his guards. He can defend himself just fine to me." One minister commented. The ladies at court let-out another dreamy sigh at his words.

"If I didn't know better, I'll say his Highness is a ninja." An old general muttered.

The friends shared a look. If they only knew, if they only knew.

A/N: I suck at writing fight scenes so I didn't put any. Good? Bad? Please leave a review.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi all! It's my birthday today so this chapter has my two most favorite characters, Toph and Zuko! I just love to see a sibling relationship between these two so I made this one. I hope you enjoy!

Fire Lord Zuko is odd. Not in a weird kind of odd but in an odd, odd way. You know? Wait, am I making sense? Hmmm, guess not.

First, I have to introduce myself. My name is Ling and I'm a crew in the Fire Lord's official ship. We were handpicked by the Fire Lord himself and we are damn proud of it! We know firsthand that Lord Zuko is not your ordinary royalty. I mean, we interact with the guy a lot so I can confidently say that we know him very well.

I was shocked by him at first because I honestly didn't expect him to be so capable on the sea. Most of the upper-class I had the misfortune to escort are winy, over sensitive and can get seasick easily. So I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the new Fire Lord is none of those things.

It can get cruel here on the ocean. The wind often toss you around like you weigh nothing, you'll feel like an insignificant leaf in the mercy of the all-powerful Mother Nature. Even the best sailors lose their footing once in a while. But Lord Zuko is not as clumsy as they come.

There was this one time a particular storm hit us and I still remember hearing him directing the crew outside. Most of the nobility wouldn't let a single drop of water on their expensive clothes but the young royal clearly didn't care about all that. He was standing strong, feet slightly parted so he wouldn't be knock over by the raging waves. He was saying stuff calmly and effectively almost like he experienced it all before.

It was just after the storm had hit that I found out that milord commanded a ship when he was still just a prince. Then it came to me, he was the banished prince after all. It's easy to forget that fact because he looks so regal, so in power that it's hard to imagine him anywhere else other than the palace.

Seeing him in action, proved me wrong though. He can fix parts of the ship, he often checks in with the navigators and chat with the crew like they're his equals. His highness looks almost at home on the sea and isn't that an irony? A Fire Lord that belongs in the ocean. The only word I would use to describe him is odd.

But this is odd even for him. He is currently waist deep in the water, coaching Lady Toph Biefong how to swim. Now, don't get me wrong. I am aware how powerful of an earthbender master Toph can be and I have been in the rear end of her admittedly painful jokes multiple times so yeah, I have a pretty good idea.

Though she's plenty strong, she is also blind. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem but the girl can't see in the water. I heard this in passing; the lady uses her earthbending in order to see her surroundings. Surely being one of her closest friends, Fire Lord Zuko is aware of this as well?

So why is he still teaching her how to swim is beyond me. I can hear them even at my vantage point, although I can't see them much. I'm the lookout for today and we're on the more shallow parts of the sea and milord deemed our place good enough to let the lady test the waters.

"Ow! Don't kick me!"

"Oops. Didn't see ya there Sparky."

"Haha, Toph. Stop being difficult and start doing what I tell you to!"

*Kick*

"What the fuck! Damn it, quit hitting me on purpose! You spoiled little shit!"

"Language Fire Lord." The smirk is palpable in lady Biefong's voice.

Lord Zuko muttered some unintelligible words, most probably curses that could make even me, a harden sailor sputter in embarrassment. He went at it for a moment but finally sighed. "You can now float. I'm still gonna hold you and while I do, kick the water on your feat. I'm slowly gonna let go when you got the hang of it. Alright?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"It's either Sokka or me."

"This sucks!"

"Oh no, is the world's greatest earthbender afraid of a little water?"

"Wh-? I'll show you afraid you bastard! Lemmi at it!"

They were making progress for a time but it didn't last. A shriek and a couple of splashes later, I suddenly heard raucous laughter. Curiosity finally got the better of me so I decided to look. Both of the Fire Lord and the lady Biefong are wet from head to toe. Lady Biefong is cackling madly while the Fire Lord is glaring at her furiously.

"You just have to dunk my head in the water huh." Lord Zuko said, irritation coloring his voice.

"You look fine to me~" The girl quipped.

I didn't see what had happened but I'm guessing that lady Toph must have gotten bored by the swimming lessons and decided to play a joke on his highness instead. It looks like she had dragged him underwater with her.

A mischievous smirk appeared on Lord Zuko's face and then, he quickly lunge and tickled master Toph. It seemed that the two of them will play in the water for a while so I stopped staring. Its rood and I have a feeling that Lord Zuko knows I'm watching them.

Half an hour passed when I heard the two finally dry themselves. Then his highness called. "Fold the sails, there's going to be a storm soon."

I looked at the sky and all I see are the clear blue horizon and the sun brightly shining up ahead. But the others did as they were told and it couldn't be any sooner for when we moved along, the clouds quickly darken. Rain fell upon us but fortunately for us, we were prepared.

"How did ya know it'll rain Hot stuff?" Lady Toph asked the question that most of us are dying to know the answer to.

He just shrugged. "The weather told me. The wind, the position of the sun or the clouds, the movement of the water and even the animals says a lot you know."

"You're waaaaay too talented for your own good Zuko! That's why the girls won't stop comin after ya."

"Be quiet!" Lord Zuko snapped, his face quickly reddening.

"Eh. You just came with me so you could avoid the soirees didn't ya."

"Do you want Sokka to teach you swimming instead?"

"Nuuuuuuh, you're my favorite! In fact, I'm officially taking you for my big brother!" She told him, her unseeing eyes blinking up at him.

The Fire Lord's frowning face instantly melted into a fond smile. He ruffled the girl's hair and the two of them just sat there contentedly. Hours passed and when the captain came to ask Lord Zuko something, he found them like that, master Toph snuggled up on Lord Zuko's side, truly looking like siblings.

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter is for . I hope you enjoy! :*

I forgot to put one in the last chapter so here it is. Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Wake-up, eat, exercise, eat again, and then sleep. It's my daily routine now. I can't complain really, at least I have my life. Besides, I don't get hungry here.

Where is here? It's the Prison Tower, duh. They drag me in the Capital City Prison when I tried to kill the Fire Lord.

God, what a huge mistake that was. I still have nightmares about it sometimes actually. His stare chilled my blood, stole my breath away and my knees wouldn't stop shaking afterwards. I was able to beg for my pitiful life though and to my luck, the Fire Lord gave it to me.

Staying in prison with my life is a fair trade for me. We weren't treated badly here; the Fire Lord makes sure of it. He even visits sometimes and that's when I usually get the nightmares. He's a good guy and all, but I will never forget that look.

It's not a bad place if you ask me, compared to the dumps I slept in before, this is pretty decent. The structure is built from large strong stones and they leave our cell door open although we're locked inside. Meh, we wouldn't attack the guards anyway. I'm too afraid of the Fire Lord to do that once is enough thank you very much.

My monotony broke when the warden brought a new inmate. The poor sucker looks like hell to say the least. His clothes are torn and a large gash is visible across his left arm. His face hadn't been spared either. The man's right cheek is swollen and there's a considerable lump on his forehead.

I couldn't resist the quip that burst from my mouth. "Crap, what happen to him? He looks like someone trampled him bad."

The new prisoner glares at me while the warden smirks smugly. My hand itches to wipe it off of his ugly face but his words stopped me dead. "You would know all about that wouldn't you? I guess you found out for yourself that the current Fire Lord is not easy to kill. You two are lucky that he let you live you know? The former Fire Lord wasn't so kind."

Well, I couldn't say anything worth a salt to that. But the fresh meat apparently could. "Not like his father you say? Do you even see my face?" He asks incredulously. "I have my bond of mercenaries with me and where are they now? They're all dead! He cut them down like they were nothing!"

I felt a shiver run down my spine at that thought, I never want to imagine that scenario. He only used his bare hands on me and I was scared for life! To see him with his dao? I'd rather stay here forever. Doesn't this guy realize that he's extremely lucky he didn't join his friends? Man, what an ass.

"I didn't see him, one second he was there and the next thing I knew, my boys were on the ground and there was blood everywhere. A blunt object hit me at the back of my head so I couldn't even scream." The man finished, rapidly losing the little of his color left. I couldn't blame him though; I already huddled in myself and retreated to the corner of my cell.

"Consider yourself lucky, I heard one assassin ambushed him with swords and he only got three broken ribs, a dislocated foot and a huge scar for his trouble. You can't talk to him now, they said he was so traumatized by the encounter; he was placed in a mental facility. Fire Lord Zuko meanwhile, didn't get any scratch on him." The warden told his new prisoner conversationally.

"Easy for you to say. Have you ever been at the receiving end of his blades?" The man mocked the guard ruthlessly.

The warden settled him in a cell first before answering. "Yeah, and he handed me my ass too. Man that was humiliating." He said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I challenge him back then, I thought that his dao blades were just for show and man, how I was mistaken."

I could relate to him, but I kept my mouth shut this time. I'm eager to hear his story though and after scratching his balding head, he finally continued. "I'm an accomplished sword master in my prime so I was confident that I could beat him you know. He's the Fire Lord, what's the use of his blades except for decorations? So I circled him and quickly thrust upward but Lord Zuko swiftly swatted it like I was just an annoying fly."

"And?" The new prisoner asked, looking really interested now.

"Shut-up, I'm having a hard time telling this too! Anyway, I caught myself and barrage him with strong attack after strong attack but he danced out of my reach every time. He was moving a lot and that got me frustrated as hell. When he evaded my slash on his side, I snapped and tried to go for his head. That was my error though because as I lift my arms, he knocks me over on the stomach with the hilt of one dao and efficiently hit my hands with the other one. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the ground and he was helping me up. Not even a hint of scorn or superiority on his face. Lord Zuko told me that it was a good spar and he will be available when I want another one."

The warden is looking at his hands thoughtfully now. We thought that the story was over but he got back to it. "I just nodded and bowed. I was so ashamed, I underestimated my new Lord. After nursing myself back to health, I took over this prison. I found out later that in his youth, the Fire Lord was taught by master Piandao himself. Even the previous Fire Lord Ozai stopped to listen on the day of the eclipse when the still prince Zuko threaten him with his dao. Let me tell you, I almost piss my pants."

"Urr... I-I think I may have." The new inmate squeaked pitifully.

The warden just looked at him and shook his head. "I'll send someone to sort you out. Oh, your friends aren't dead, they were sent to another facility. You however, get the special treatment. After all, Lord Zuko frequently visits this place." He said a nasty grin on his face.

The last thing I heard is the new prisoner's shriek of utter terror. Why, do you ask? Well, I passed out of course... You try hearing that story about the man you tried but failed to kill. The reminder that he visits the place was the final straw for me; I blissfully give in to the darkness after hearing that. I really, really, really hope, I won't see Fire Lord Zuko in my dreams or when I wake-up.

A/N: Please leave a review on your way out!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

"Good morning Minister Zu."

"Good morning Lord Zuko. Ehem, may I just say that you looked ravishing at lady Biefong's birthday party last night!"

"Err, thanks?"

"The ruff look suits you as well as the elegant style. And the way you dove to avoid the rocks was so, so, sexy!"

"..."

"My offer still stands, you know. My sister still has hopes for a union between the two of you. And..."

*slam*

"We need to search the area."

"Are you unharmed my Lord?"

"What, is happening here exactly?"

"We found this mask in one of the palace's rooms Sire. And we believe that you might be in danger."

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Fiend! Thief! Scum!"

"Calm down Minister, you're with me. There's nothing to worry about here."

"You don't understand, that good for nothing lowlife stole from me back when I still lived at the Earth kingdom! No matter where I hid my stock of food, he always found a way to get it. I've even hired guards but he took them all out like they were nothing! And now, it's here... Oh no."

"I'm certain that he's not stupid enough to steel in the Fire Lord's palace."

"I don't care! It even took money from me. It has no limits, I tell you. I have to go, I need to check my belongings. My jewels, my precious jewels!"

"Wait a moment, Minister. We should talk this over. I can reassure you that everything is fine."

"It's like it's haunting me. It's like he follows me wherever I go, I might have been cursed!"

"Now, now let's not jump into..."

"This is unacceptable Fire Lord. My sister will not step foot in a palace roamed by that blue demon!"

*slam*

"I refuse to marry that thrice widowed woman anyway. Agni, she's like my mother!"

"Umm, my Lord?"

Zuko took the Blue Spirit mask as he stood. "Don't worry about this, I'll make sure to not leave it just laying around next time." he told them and then, he strode away to hide his growing smirk. The look on his guards' stunned faces was priceless.

He needs to find Minister Zu's place, the Blue Spirit might make an appearance to night. Zuko can't wait to see Toph, she'll love this story.

A/N: This is the last chapter of this story. Zuko to me, will always be amazing! And I'm glad I got to share some of my ideas with you. Thank you all for reading guys! :*


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